I do enjoy this form of nonfiction book, where a scholar collates their published manuscripts (which is a rigid, brief form to share generalizable knowledge) and combines them with their lived experience and connected ideas to nicely construct a nonfiction book. I do think with ethnography and mass trauma, we have to be conscious about the lived experiences that we do and do not claim (thinking about the first story about Hiroshima). I picked up this ARC because I teach an undergrad course in epidemiology, and I was looking for new books with epidemiological merit to build out a possible list of readings for their book report, and ultimately, this won’t make the cut. What I did appreciate was some of the little concepts—token words—that the author uses and shares. These are phenomena that I’d love to have operational definition for and measure.

Surviving Our Catastrophes: Resilience and Renewal from Hiroshima to the COVID-19 Pandemic by Robert Jay Lifton is a book that not only speaks of the greatest catastrophes and atrocities of our generations, but also of the greatest hope that has been found in those who have not only survived, but thrived after these atrocities have happened. 'Survivor Power' is the thread that Lifton weaves in how humanity has recovered and moved forward in leading meaningful lives and not allowing the circumstances to define our worth. While a shorter book than his others, it is not a fast read, but one that leaves us marveling over just how hope endures. Very well done!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

What a unique perspective this author has! Lifton has first hand experience working with survivors of Hiroshima and Vietnam and Covid-19. The longevity of his career is a gift to readers of this book. You get an understanding of the psychology that brings people from being victims to survivors as well as an understanding of how individuals and whole communities heal and move forward from catastrophes.

In addition to the individual and communal physchology, Lifton explores and explains the psychology behind Covid-deniers in the US and what that does to a society attempting to recover from the widespread deadly virus. This book is fascinating and insightful and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is a great distillation of Lifton's life work. (In fact, I credit his Nazi Doctors book with helping me gain a deeper appreciation of the human side of history and helping me realize that history, in the end, is about people). This is a very personable book, as he combines his research on Hiroshima survivors with his reflections of living and surviving during COVID. As I read, I was really curious about what spurred him to write this book. Was it the struggle of managing to live through a pandemic? Was it a reflection of his work and research on humanity and its psychological condition? I feel like this book closes the door on a long, successful, and insightful career, but one that contributes much to the understanding of the human experience.

Lifton looks at all aspects of catastrophe and how people manage to persevere. In some instances, it is a harrowing read. In others, it conveys hope. One of the more insightful chapters, in my opinion, is "The Mourning Paradox" about the effects of Vietnam and connecting it to the way we deal with grief. It includes insights regarding COVID, the AIDS crisis, and Primo Levi's words about Auschwitz.

Surviving Our Catastrophes is one of Lifton's shorter works, but don't think you'll gobble this up in a short period of time. I encourage you to read it slowly, taking in his thoughts and conclusions, and gain a deeper understanding of how we manage to deal with the tragedies we face.